Sean Strickland Wants to Box: MMA Fighters Who Successfully Crossed Into Boxing

Sean Strickland has made it clear that he wants to test himself in professional boxing.

The former UFC middleweight champion recently took to social media to express his interest in stepping away from the MMA cage and competing under boxing rules, writing that he loves MMA but wants to box and would prefer to do it under the Zuffa banner.

For a fighter known for his boxing-heavy style, the idea is not particularly surprising. Strickland has built much of his MMA career around pressure, distance, combinations and high-volume punching. But if he makes the transition, he will be following a path already traveled by several accomplished MMA fighters.

And among those fighters, Cris Cyborg has arguably built the strongest case for becoming one of the most successful MMA-to-boxing crossovers in combat sports history.

Sean Strickland Wants to Test His Boxing in the Ring

Strickland is not talking about simply incorporating more boxing into his MMA game. He wants to compete in boxing.

The two-time UFC middleweight champion publicly stated his desire to box and indicated that he would prefer to compete under Zuffa’s expanding combat-sports ecosystem.

That distinction matters.

Boxing and MMA may share the fundamentals of punching, footwork, defense and timing, but the sports demand very different approaches. In MMA, a fighter must account for kicks, knees, elbows, takedowns, submissions and clinch attacks. Boxing removes those weapons and places an even greater premium on punching technique, defensive movement, positioning and ring craft.

Strickland’s willingness to make that transition reflects the growing relationship between MMA and boxing.

And he would certainly not be the first major MMA name to make the jump.

Cris Cyborg Has Built a Championship-Level Boxing Career

When discussing successful MMA fighters who have transitioned into boxing, Cris Cyborg deserves to be at the center of the conversation.

Cyborg entered professional boxing after establishing herself as one of the most decorated champions in MMA. Rather than treating boxing as a one-off crossover spectacle, she has pursued the sport as a legitimate second combat-sports career.

As of 2026, Cyborg is 8-0 as a professional boxer with six knockouts and is the reigning WIBA World Champion.

Her WIBA championship victory came against Colombia’s Paulina Cardona in March 2026 in Curitiba, Brazil. Cyborg entered that fight with an undefeated 8-0 boxing record and captured the vacant WIBA World Championship.

That accomplishment is particularly significant because the WIBA championship has previously been held by accomplished boxers including Laila Ali, Holly Holm and Amanda Serrano.

Cyborg’s boxing career therefore represents something considerably different from an MMA fighter simply taking a celebrity boxing match.

She has entered the professional boxing rankings, accumulated victories, pursued championship competition and become a world champion.

The combination of an elite MMA résumé and an undefeated 8-0 professional boxing record with six knockouts gives Cyborg a legitimate argument as the best MMA fighter to successfully transition into boxing.

Anderson Silva Proved the Crossover Could Work

Another obvious example is Anderson Silva.

The former UFC middleweight champion had long discussed his interest in boxing and eventually made the sport a major part of his post-UFC career.

Silva returned to boxing in 2021 and defeated former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by split decision. He then stopped former UFC champion Tito Ortiz in the first round.

Silva’s transition was particularly interesting because he had already developed an elite striking game during his MMA career.

But Silva himself acknowledged that boxing required different technical decisions. Without kicks, takedowns, elbows and other MMA weapons, the margins become much smaller. Footwork, hand positioning and defensive reactions become even more important.

Silva demonstrated that an elite MMA striker could successfully adapt to those demands.

Chris Lytle Was a Boxer Before and During His MMA Career

Chris Lytle represents another fascinating crossover story.

The UFC veteran competed in 15 professional boxing bouts and 54 MMA fights during a two-decade combat-sports career.

Lytle’s career illustrates how closely intertwined boxing and MMA can be for elite fighters. He competed at the highest levels of MMA while maintaining a deep background in boxing, and later returned to combat sports through bare-knuckle competition.

Unlike some modern crossover athletes, Lytle was never simply an MMA fighter experimenting with boxing. Boxing was an important part of his combat-sports identity throughout his career.

Jens Pulver Also Experienced the Boxing-MMA Crossover

Former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver is another name worth remembering when examining the history of MMA fighters crossing into boxing.

Pulver developed his reputation as one of the pioneers of the UFC lightweight division, but his career also included boxing-related competition and an extensive striking background.

Pulver himself once explained the fundamental difference between the sports, noting that MMA requires fighters to account for considerably more weapons than boxing.

That difference is exactly what makes Strickland’s proposed transition so intriguing.

A fighter can have world-class boxing inside an MMA environment without necessarily being a world-class pure boxer.

The question is whether Strickland can make that adjustment.

The Reverse Crossover Has Produced Major Stars Too

The relationship between boxing and MMA works in both directions.

Some of the most accomplished examples actually traveled from boxing into MMA.

Holly Holm

Holly Holm is perhaps the clearest example.

Before becoming a UFC champion, Holm was an elite professional boxer with a reported 33-3-2 boxing record, along with an extensive kickboxing background.

Her transition eventually produced one of the most famous moments in women’s MMA history when she defeated Ronda Rousey to become UFC women’s bantamweight champion.

Holm demonstrated that an elite boxing foundation could translate into MMA when combined with the necessary additional skills.

Amanda Serrano

Amanda Serrano also explored MMA after establishing herself as one of boxing’s most decorated champions.

Serrano discussed being inspired by Holm’s successful transition and eventually began training in MMA.

Her career illustrates the opportunities that can exist when elite combat athletes refuse to remain confined to a single discipline.

Mia St. John

Mia St. John is another prominent boxer who crossed into MMA, adding another chapter to the history of athletes moving between the two sports.

The crossover has become increasingly common as elite fighters recognize that their skill sets can create opportunities in multiple combat-sports markets.

Strickland’s Boxing Move Would Be Different

For Sean Strickland, the attraction appears to be straightforward: he wants to see what he can accomplish when boxing is the only objective.

That creates an interesting challenge.

In MMA, Strickland can use his pressure and boxing while opponents must worry about every other weapon available to them. In a boxing ring, his opponent knows exactly what is coming.

There are no kicks to disguise entries.

There are no takedowns to force reactions.

There are no knees or elbows to create additional threats.

Everything revolves around the hands, the feet, the head movement, the angles and the ability to control the distance.

That makes a Strickland boxing match a compelling experiment.

Cris Cyborg Has Already Answered the Question

The difference between a fighter wanting to transition into boxing and actually establishing a boxing career is significant.

Sean Strickland now has an opportunity to find out how his MMA boxing translates under pure boxing rules.

Cris Cyborg has already gone through that process.

She entered professional boxing with an established MMA legacy, built an undefeated record and ultimately captured a world championship. Her current 8-0 record with six knockouts and WIBA World Championship gives her one of the strongest competitive résumés among MMA fighters who have moved into boxing.

Cyborg’s boxing accomplishments also complement an MMA career that includes championship success across multiple major organizations.

That combination makes her unique.

Anderson Silva successfully transitioned to boxing.

Chris Lytle demonstrated a long-standing connection between boxing and MMA.

Jens Pulver competed across combat-sports disciplines.

But Cyborg has taken the crossover to the championship level while remaining an active elite combat athlete.

The Future of MMA and Boxing Is Becoming More Connected

Strickland’s interest in boxing is part of a much larger trend.

The line between MMA and boxing continues to become less rigid. Fighters are increasingly comfortable competing under different rules, promoters are exploring crossover events, and fans have demonstrated significant interest in seeing elite athletes test themselves outside their primary sport.

For fighters such as Strickland, the appeal is obvious.

MMA establishes the fighter.

Boxing provides a completely different test.

And fighters such as Cris Cyborg have shown that the transition can be more than an exhibition or novelty—it can become a legitimate championship career.

If Strickland eventually steps into the ring, he will have an opportunity to add his name to a crossover history that already includes some of the biggest names in combat sports.

But for now, Cris Cyborg stands as one of the strongest examples of an MMA champion successfully becoming a boxing champion.

With an undefeated 8-0 professional boxing record, six knockouts and the WIBA World Championship, Cyborg has transformed her boxing crossover into a championship-level career of its own.